


uncle buck does babysitting

by asexualsartemis



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Babysitting, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, POV Eddie Diaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23338330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asexualsartemis/pseuds/asexualsartemis
Summary: Promptabuddie: Buddie babysits for Madney.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Maddie Buckley/Howie "Chimney" Han
Comments: 6
Kudos: 271





	uncle buck does babysitting

“Buck, would you chill?” Eddie says as he walks, hand in hand with Buck, up the steps to the Han household. “You’ve held her before; at the hospital. You did fine.”

“For a _minute_ and I gave her back.”

“You’re great with kids.”

“Yeah, _kids_. Not tiny babies that depend on you for everything and that you could _drop_.”

Eddie tugs on Buck’s hand to stop him in place before reaching up with the other to cup his cheek. “Babe, it’s going to be fine. I am here with you.”

“Right, a more experienced adult,” Buck mutters to himself, shaking out his shoulders and acting as if he’s readying to run headlong into a fire rather than to babysit his four month old niece for a few hours.

“You just make your presence known and I’ll handle the more… _life-dependent_ stuff, deal?”

Buck lets out a long sigh. “Deal.”

Eddie gives him a small kiss then all but drags Buck up to the door. He gives the door a knock and it’s swinging open within seconds to reveal a dressed up Chimney.

“Finally,” he says in lieu of a greeting.

“Chim, hush, they’re on time,” Maddie admonishes fondly, waving the couple in the door and into the living room where the baby is in her swing, asleep.

“She’s been a little fussy, so I gave her Tylenol…”

Eddie listens carefully to Maddie’s instructions as he knows he’ll be taking the brunt of the responsibility. He follows her into the kitchen as she walks through where things are if needed, and Eddie tells her not to worry because little Zari is in good hands.

“I know this was last minute and everything. We so appreciate the help. You know how it is; new baby and no social time…” Maddie says as she makes her way back to the front door.

“No problem. Christopher is at a sleepover, so we were free anyway.”

She puts on her coat as she whispers to Eddie, “How’s he doing? I know babies aren’t…” Her eyes trail over to a stock-still Buck staring down at the sleeping baby.

Eddie smiles reassuringly as she trails off. “That’s what I’m here for. It’ll be nice, as I missed this age with Christopher.”

“I trust you.” She leans forward to give her brother in law a kiss on the cheek. “You know the drill—text me for _anything_ , please. Just dinner and maybe a walk.”

“Take all the Adult Time you need.”

Maddie blows a kiss towards her baby girl and Chimney pulls her out the door muttering about their reservation.

It may seem off the way Chimney is acting to an outsider, but the guy is truly over the moon to be a father and is constantly sharing photos and videos with his teammates at work — even to those that they’ve rescued! But Eddie knows how hard it is to be stuck in the house all day and need to take a breather. So Eddie just walks over to Buck, shaking his head.

He wraps his arms around his husband, brushing a kiss the underside of his ear. “Not so bad, huh?”

Buck shrugs, but his hands come up to rest on Eddie’s. “She’s so… _small_ , and helpless… but she’s lucky she got Mads’ looks.”

Just then Zari decides it’s time to whimper and Eddie reluctantly pulls away from Buck to retrieve a clean pacifier from the kitchen.

Unsurprisingly, he’s not quite fast enough and the baby gives out a screeching wail that has Buck wincing back from her. Eddie stops the swing and scoops her up in his arms, beginning to sway and bounce her in his arms.

“Aww, no need for that, baby girl,” Eddie coos to the baby. “Your Uncle Eddie and Buck are here. See?” He turns the baby towards Buck. Buck’s eyes are as big as saucers, but he does lean forward.

Progress is _progress_.

The baby makes a gurgle noise around her pacifier and her eyes lock onto Buck.

“I think you have an admirer. Can’t say I blame her.” Eddie chuckles softly. He grabs Buck’s shirt sleeve and leads him over to the couch to get more comfortable.

“See, not so scary, huh.”

“She wrinkles her nose like Maddie does,” Buck observes. He’s relaxing a bit into Eddie’s side but his fingers are jittery on his leg. “You're… really good at this.”

“Unfortunately I was in Afghanistan while Chris was this age, but I’ve had my fair share of baby duty. So many baby cousins. As one of the eldest they kind of get _thrusted_ at you if you have free hands.”

“It was just Maddie and me growing up. No cousins that I knew of.”

“They just want to feel secure,” Eddie says. After a moment he shifts, says, “Here let’s do this…”

He pulls one of the throw pillows over. Buck, reading his mind, pulls the blanket laying on the back of the couch down to cover them up. Eddie rests Zari on top of the pillow on his lap. “And you have to make sure to support the head. At her age her muscles are stronger, but still needs help.”

“Like a bobble head,” Buck whispers with a tiny nod, watching Eddie’s smooth movements. Eddie takes a hold of the baby’s tiny hands, shaking them a little. The two sit in comfortable silence for a while until Zari gets fussy again.

“Babe, can you…?” He gestures for Buck to stretch out his legs and slides the pillow slowly over onto Buck’s lap.

“Eddie, I-” Buck mildly panics, and Eddie brushes a kiss to his temple.

“Just for a moment. I’m going to get her a bottle. She’s probably hungry.” He’s up in a flash, leaving Buck awkwardly with a baby in his lap.

“Well… hi?” Buck says awkwardly. He can bullshit his way through comforting one of their rescues but talking to a baby was out of his league.

Looking down at her now, scrunched nose and all, Buck had to admit she was unarguably cute as hell and looking at her pulls a smile from him.

“I’m your Uncle Buck. Your mom’s my sister, yeah. She’s great, huh?” The baby gives him an honest-to-goodness giggle and Buck feels his tension ebb away and his heart swells with love for his niece. “Your dad is something, I’ll tell you, but he’s a great dude.”

Eddie spies on Buck through the doorway as the bottle heats up in the warmer. His mouth curls in a fond smile and he’s reminded why he fell in love with Buck in the first place. He may be scared out of his mind but at least he tries in the end, and usually succeeds.

Just then the baby lets out a loud wail and Buck visibly panics. Eddie quickly retrieves the bottle from the warmer, testing it on his wrist while he makes a mad dash to the couch. Luckily, the formula isn’t too hot and the second Eddie makes it to the couch he pops the bottle into the baby’s mouth.

Sweet silence.

The angle is awkward so Buck tries to pass the baby back to Eddie. Eddie shakes his head and rests his hand over Buck’s.

“No, you try,” he urges, nodding towards the bottle. When Buck takes it hesitantly, Eddie grins. “That’s it, just keep it at an angle so she doesn’t suck air…”

Eddie reaches forward and rests a burping cloth against Buck’s shoulder. Buck side eyes it and Eddie sighs. “Babies can’t burp on their own. You’ll have to do it. But it won’t be for a bit.”

Eddie grabs the remote from the coffee time and settles in next to Buck and Zari. The break in the silence seems to relax Buck. After a few moments of surfing channels and Zari suckling, Eddie’s hand softly covers Bucks and pulls the bottle from Zari’s lips, which Buck views as extremely unfair. Eddie eyes the bottle and nods to himself. “Okay, so you all you have to do is rest her over your shoulder and pat her back — _firm pats_ , or nothing will happen. Helps forcing the air—”

 _Buuurrrp_.

“Wow, that was loud.” Buck laughs as he lowers the baby back to his lap. “You are _so_ Chim’s kid!” The baby beams up at him, reaching up at his face. “Does my Zee girl want some more? Yeah?”

And suddenly Buck was at complete ease with this tiny pink-faced bundle of joy in his arms. Zari finishes her bottle and Buck plays with her for a tummy session. It’s not that long before she’s crashed out on his chest, with Eddie curled up next to him with the sounds of an action movie turned low on the television.

“Babe?” Eddie whispers, yawning.

Barely more than a breath: “Yeah?”

“Are you tired? Want me to take her?”

“No, I’m fine. You snooze if you want. They should be back soon.”

Eddie pushes up on his elbow to peer at his husband. The television lights his features like a false moonlight, the lights having been turned down some time ago. Buck’s eyes are firmly on the baby and if Eddie listens carefully he can hear Buck humming some song to the little girl. Eddie’s chest is warm with pride as he snuggles back down into the couch and turns his attention back to the movie.

He was right.


End file.
